Once this work has been finished, harbour staff will be trained on how to operate the bridge with its revised lifting system that allow larger boats to enter Welsh Back.
To carry out the work and training safely, the bridge will be closed to all road users between 9.30am and 3.30pm each day from Monday 20 to Friday 31 January 2025.
While Redcliffe Bascule Bridge is closed during the day, road users will need to follow the temporary diversion route across Bristol Bridge – diversion route updated on 8 January. Pedestrians and cyclists can use either Bristol Bridge or Prince Street Bridge during the closure.
If motorists follow the signposted diversion, they will not receive a fine for driving through the Bristol Bridge bus gate.
Redcliffe Bascule Bridge was built in 1942 to link Queen’s Square to the city centre.
It is made up of two fixed spans and a lifting ‘bascule’ span which allows larger boats to enter Welsh Back, a wharf alongside the Floating Harbour.
Bristol City Council carried out a £3 million refurbishment of the bridge from 2022 to 2023. This focused on addressing structural problems and upgrading the mechanical and electrical elements of the bridge.
Leaders across the West have welcomed greater investment through today’s Spending Review, with a record three-quarters of a billion pounds of transport funding confirmed for the West. That means better buses, more trains, and mass transit – with trams and much more on the table. The Treasury has also today confirmed plans to improve rail links between Bristol and Cardiff.
The second phase of a project - to reduce congestion, improve the reliability of buses, and promote active travel along a major transport route in Bristol - will get underway from Monday 16 June 2025.
That’s summer sorted. Children and young people under the age of 16 are set to be able to travel for free on buses across our region during the school holidays, thanks to new investment proposed by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
Bristol’s first electrified bus depot was opened on 3 June 2025 by a government minister and the West of England’s new mayor.
Leaders across the region have today welcomed more than three-quarters of a billion pounds set to be invested in transport projects in the West. The Chancellor has announced plans to more than double investment in local transport in England’s city regions, committing to “investment in all parts of the country, not just a few.”
